Mildura Weekly – 13/12/13 5
www.milduraphonebook.com.au
By BEN PISCIONERI
SUNRAYSIA’S economy has long
been underpinned by its primary
produce, however processing of
that produce has now emerged as
one of the region’s major drivers.
A new strategy released yester-
day by the Mildura Development
Corporation aims to capitalise
and build on this growth, while
continuing to develop the primary
production that has been the back-
bone of the region.
According to the MDC, manu-
facturing now accounts for more
than 20 percent of gross revenue
across the region’s industry sectors,
ahead of agriculture, forestry and
fishing and the rental, hiring and
real estate sector.
Primary production is inextrica-
bly linked to this growth in manu-
facturing, as it’s the processing/pro-
ducing of the region’s wine, spirits,
fruits and vegetables that has fed
this growth.
Food and beverage manufac-
turing in the Mildura region now
accounts for 50 percent of the re-
gion’s manufacturing revenue and
provides 55 percent of manufactur-
ing industry jobs.
It also accounts for 70 percent
of all exports manufactured in the
region.
The Food, Wine and Beverages
Manufacturing Strategy, released
yesterday by MDC, aims to build
on this momentum, according to
chief executive Chris Crewther.
“The food, wine and beverage
manufacturing strategy feeds into
the fact that there are enormous
opportunities to leverage on what
we already produce and add value,”
Mr Crewther said.
“The aim with this strategy is
to work with industry to see how it
can grow, and grow better.
“There’s a lot of potential to add
value in this area, and when I talk
to people like Stefano de Pieri, the
wine groups and other producers
in this region, they all point out the
huge potential there is to develop
and add value to products, whether
it’s creating jams or creating new
beverages or the Lamattinas, who
are moving to a new production fa-
cility to create fresh juice, there are
just so many opportunities.”
The Mildura Murray Darling
Wine Industry Association, known
as Mildura Wines, has worked
hand in hand with the MDC to
produce the strategy, partnering the
organisation to obtain government
funding for the strategy.
Some of the key objectives of
the strategy are to improve busi-
nesses’ competitiveness, promote
innovation, help food and bever-
age manufacturers move from low
cost, volume-driven commodity
production to high value, in-de-
mand market segments and im-
prove the perception of food and
beverage products produced in re-
gional Victoria.
The 10-year strategy is based
around four ‘pillars’ of action,
which include the development of
a food manufacturing cluster that
would allow the region’s food and
beverage manufacturers to speak
with a united voice.
Some of the options for this
cluster could include expanding
Mildura Wines, which was original-
ly set up five years ago as a repre-
sentative body for Sunraysia wine-
makers, to include other sectors,
or a broader cluster incorporating
other areas, including Swan Hill.
“In Mildura we have so many
different kinds of food proces-
sors here, and they all share very
common issues, so it’s about get-
ting them all around the table and
working together and capitalising
on that,” Mr Crewther said.
• Continued Page 8
New strategy aims to
bolster processing
• Trentham Estate
chief winemaker
and managing
director, Anthony
Murphy.
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